The Jervis McEntee Diaries - October 29, 1883

Diary Entry:

Monday, Oct 29, 1883 I have had such an eventful day. It has rained hard all day. Parcell the carpenter came this morning and finished the packing of all the boxes for Booth. Opening the three boxes in the barn in which were the statues we found the mice had taken possession. In the box with "Venus" we found a little family. There were three little mice in the nest which the carpenter gave to the cats who gobbled them down like oysters. The poor mother hid amid the ruins of her house which she fondly hoped she had provided against the winter but Henry wanted the poor frightened little thing out and put his foot (a heavy one) upon her. I confess it gave me a pang to break up this snug home notwithstanding they had sadly discolored the marbles. The carpenter finished at 11 oclock and I packed the few remaining things in the little store room over the carriage house myself. In getting out Booths things I came upon some of my own packed away when we broke up our little home. In a box were a quantity of dear Gertrudes letters to me and of mine to her which I shall take the sweetest satisfaction in reading over and having again her loving voice out of that happy past. In this same box were many other dear relics of her and among them the bouquet she held in her hand at our marriage. A mouse had made her nest from the soft paper wrapped about it. What a thrill the sight of this poor faded, crumbling thing gave me and how all that happy day shone over me again. I have been reading this evening a few of my letters to her crowded with events I had almost forgotten. What a pleasure I have in store reading hers to me. Now all of Booths things are packed and only have to be marked and sent on Wednesday. While I was engaged at this I sent Henry to help Sara and she has had the sitting room and parlor carpets put down and those rooms are all in order for the winter. Last year Poor Maurice and I did this. I came upon the Herald with a notice in the shipping news of the speaking the "Skylark" in which ship Maurice was in 1856. I well remember reading it on my way up from the strand and how my eyes filled with grateful tears for we had had no tidings of the ship for a long time. How it brought the poor boy back to me.